Severely retarded children in a London area: prevalence and provision of services

Abstract

SYNOPSISA one-day census was made (from the Camberwell Register) of children excluded from education in school, children in ESN schools with IQs of 49 or below, and pre-school children suspected of being severely retarded. Their service placements were again recorded 26 months later. Comparison with other prevalence studies suggests that the ‘true’ prevalence of severe retardation (IQ 49 or below) for school-age children in the United Kingdom at the present time is approximately 3·6 to 4·0 per 1,000 (age-specific rate). About 40% of these children are also non-ambulant, or severely incontinent or have severe behaviour disorders. Early identification and plentiful provision of day places alone do not necessarily reduce the demand for residential accommodation. Detailed studies are needed to determine the factors which exacerbate or minimize the problems faced by families with severely retarded children.